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Too much of a good thing in customer service and the customer experience can sometimes be the worst thing possible. The gathering and handling of customer information is a case in point.

I wrote yesterday about the value of gathering seven points of customer data on each and every one of your customers (information on expectations, goals, preferences and so forth). The flip side of this, however, is just as important. Just because you can get other information out of, or on, your customer, doesn’t mean you should do so. And just because you’ve gotten information doesn’t make all uses of it appropriate. People don’t always like being surprised—even if the surprise shows them the impressiveness of your customer service systems. One of the pithiest examples of this comes from Seth Godin:

If your credit card company called you up and said, ’’We’ve been looking over your records and we see that you’ve been having an extramarital affair. We’d like to offer you a free coupon for VD testing . . . ,’’ you’d freak out, and for good reason. If the local authorities start using what’s on the corner surveillance cameras to sell you a new kind of commuter token, you’d be a little annoyed at that as well.

Those are (as far as I know) just hypotheticals from Seth, but what about this real-life example from a friend who was staying at a five-star hotel? As follows:

The Spy Inside The Minibar

My friend called the front desk to complain about a problem she had encountered. The front desk clerk fixed the problem but added a mistake of his own: Reading from the output of the electronically monitored minibar in her room, he told her, ‘‘I see you enjoy vodka. Would you enjoy one of our new vodkas with your dinner tonight as an apology?’’ The clerk thought he was being clever, but he came off as basically spying in his guest’s bedroom—not something that’s going to warm the cockles of a customer’s heart.

Keep in mind that you are gathering information to serve your customer. Any other use is at best secondary. And because I am talking about electronic systems, always remember the limitations of working without physical or auditory feedback. Do not require information unless it is an absolutely necessary part of doing business. When you ask for it, ask politely, never using the information in a way that penetrates someone’s protective bubble.

The Internet tempts us to gather too much information. It’s so easy to ask customers questions in an automated online interface that the temptation to ‘‘pile ’em on’’ can be very strong. Here are some principles to help you minimize this temptation:

1. If you must gather any sensitive information, explain why it’s necessary—clearly and fully.

2. Never require a date of birth unless you must screen underage users. Many people will either exit a website or falsify their birth date online if it is required of them. Pressuring customers to lie to you is the wrong way to begin a journey toward loyalty.

3. Think through every question you ask, first arguing against it as well as you can. For example, play devil’s advocate about collecting telephone numbers. Why are you requiring your customers to reveal their phone numbers? Why, for that matter, require an email address? (There’s probably a reason, but think it through. Think about the potential costs, not just the obvious potential marketing benefits.)

4. If you give people a persuasive option of providing private information, your best prospects will often be agreeable. After that, the problem of sifting out bogus ‘‘required’’ data (999-555-0505 and lateralligator@getoutofmyface.com.usa.xxxy) goes away.

5. Consider the supplemental use of live chat wherever possible and of prominently listed 800/888 numbers. This can keep people from being daunted by lengthy forms (and walking away) when they only wanted a bit of specific information. But don’t let any of this stop you from providing a rapidly-answered email address as well. Note that some who approach your company online don’t want to talk on the phone, no matter how friendly and well trained your ‘‘operators standing by’’ may be. Some are not even able to: The Internet has become an important tool for people with disabilities, including those with limited hearing, as well as for the inevitable stealthy at-work shoppers.

Fear Not: Don’t Be Deterred from Collecting Information—Thoughtfully

Don’t be deterred from collecting information—in a sensitive way, for respectful uses. There is little that’s more important to your growth as a company. Indeed, effective tracking of what is important to customers—specific customers, not just customers in the aggregate—is a hallmark of excellent organizations. It makes it possible for new staff to continue customer relationships built by departing or promoted colleagues as your company grows. Done correctly, it builds high, sustainable levels of customer loyalty.